“Chulita” is a Spanish term of endearment, and Saenz remembers her grandmother telling her “ay, que chula,” or “oh, how cute,” when she was a child. Saenz gave it new meaning by incorporating it into the group’s name as a declaration of female empowerment. “We are chula because we are beautiful, poised [and] confident,” she said.

Chulita Vinyl Club Austin + CVC Founder Claudia Saenz talk to Reporting Texas, a digital media initiative from the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin about the importance of comadres, historical preservation and togetherness. Take a read!